The venue was Shan e Suhoor, the host was Nida Yasir and the guest was Adnan Siddiqui. But the conversation had nothing to do with Shan or Suhoor. Perhaps sticking to a script would be a good idea?
Scroll down for Adnan Siddiqui’s clarification on the story…
Actor Adnan Siddiqui decided to equate women to flies and we wonder what possessed him to have such a random conversation. Humour also needs a quality threshold and his was certainly falling beyond any hope of redemption.
“A fly and a woman are more or less the same examples,” he said. At this, Nida (rightly so), grasped her head and remarked in panic mode, “He’s going to make me go viral again.” But there was no stopping Adnan, “The more you chase after women, the more they run away from you. And when you sit like this (he folds his hands over his chest), they’ll come sit on your hand like this fly did.”
Let’s rewind to the moment that brought on this sudden outpouring of women’s psychology.
A fly was buzzing around Adnan and Nida suggested that it was perhaps drawn to his sweetness. But Adnan responded instantly as if struck by a revelation: “I’m about to say something. Women, don’t feel bad about it.” Disclaimer there … ?
“When I was trying to catch the fly, I wasn’t very successful, but when I sat back, it came and sat here”, he gestured to his hand and then his nose.
Nida responded in quick damage control mode accompanied by nervous laughter: “I don’t want such straightforward people on my show live, … let’s move on.”
While some netizens responded by taking his remarks in a positive light, that yes, women do not like to be pursued relentlessly or stalked, others (the majority) found it hugely offensive.
It is unfortunate that actors feel the urge to pass comments on what women want, how they think, how they are perceived to act in certain circumstances as if they are, in fact objects with a planned, robotic approach to decision making.
Adnan Siddiqui’s words, (not sure if they were in jest or revealed a deeper belief) that he harbours about women, revealed a dated mindset, one that many men adhere to, that a woman’s behaviour can be predicted and hence exploited with key behaviours from men. And that women are, in fact, a prize to be won by following a certain route to success – the success being, winning her attention.
Time and again, popular Pakistani celebrities and politicians have passed loose, irresponsible and insensitive remarks on women, either targeting a particular Pakistani woman in the public sphere, or a general, blanket comment about all women, be it politics, entertainment or media. It seems the male population in our country needs to be schooled on how not to view women as a commodity, herding their behaviour choices under one umbrella.
While most such remarks from public male personalities have gone viral, one hopes that men like him, will see the error in their thesis on women, and also, that others will step up to clear the air and offer their own point of view, which will, hopefully be more dignified and less dated. After all, influencers hold a responsibility – their thoughts and words affect and influence a sizeable population in Pakistan.
Adnan Siddiqui and personalities like him, who hold a following of over 1 Million followers on Instagram alone, need to understand the repercussions their words hold. Use your words wisely, because, they might come to sting you, just like the flies you were happily referring to, in your monologue!
As an update to the story, we’d like to share that Adnan Siddiqui posted a clarification to his earlier comments and expressed regret for his remarks on Shan e Suhoor.
It is important to reflect on our words regardless of our following and Adnan Siddiqui can set an example here that it takes a humble person to admit he might have erred.
Let us know what you think of the conversation and how best to react if someone compares you to a fly?
